On the streets of New York, a tough but tender newcomer (Channing Tatum) runs into a small-time hustler (Terrence Howard), who discovers his pugilistic talent and sets him to work in the underground bare-knuckle fight scene. The brawls have a brutal energy, and Howard's performance is magnetic, but one gains little sense of character from the improvised dialogue or Tatum's sub-Brando mumbling. And there ought to be a moratorium on using these songs on a soundtrack: "Move on Up", "Street Life" and "Theme from Trouble Man".